Adjustable crutch.



I'. H. JONES.

ADJUSTABLE GRUTGH.

APPLICATION rILnD JAN.22.1913.

1,073,991 s Patented Sept. 28, 1913.

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FRANK H. JONES, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR ZE` ONE-HALF T0 FRANK LLEWELLYN JONES, OF LBALTIMOBE, MARYLAND.

ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23,1913.

Application filed January 22, 1913. Serial No. 743,684.

To all 107mm, fit may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK ll. Jones, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Baltimore, State ot Maryland, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Adjustable Crutehes, oit' which the following is a specification.

This invention relatcsto certain new and useful impro.'ements in crutches and has for its object the provision ot a crutch which may be easily adjusted to accommodate itselt' to persons of different size.

The invention also aims to generally iniprove crutches .ot this type to render them more useful and mimn'iercially desirable.

Vith these and other objects in View, which will become more apparent as the de' scription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features ot combination, construction, and arrangement ot parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. i

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the tollowing description, and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved crutch, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper end of the same, partly in elevation, and, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 3-3 in Fig. Q.

Referring more specifically to the drawings by numerals, l designates the tip of the crutch to which is secured, inthe usual man ner, the side bars 2, which extend upwardly and outwardly, for a portion ot their length and have their upper ends parallel to each other. The hand-hold 3 is secured between the side bars 2, adjacent the lower ends of the parallel up er portions thereof.V The upper' ends of t e side bars 2 areslidably mounted within tubular uprights 4 secured at their upper ends near the extremities of the arm rest 5 by means of suitable fasteners 6, passing through the integrally formed flanges 7. Concavo-convex metal strips 8 formed with a plurality of alined openings 9, are secured to the inner sides of the side bars 2, adjacent the upper ends thereof, by

means of suitable fasteners 10. These concavo-convex strips are provided so that it will not be necessary to form openings in the side bars 2 and thereby weaken the same.

The improved locking means forming a part of my invention, is positioned within a housing' 11 formed preferably of metal and having: the upper wall 1Q and side walls 1?, recessed intermediate o't their lower edges, as at 14. The housing 1l is secured between the tubular uprights il adjacent the lower ends thereof and has its lower side entirely open. Angular levers 15 and 1G are pivotally secured intermediate their ends within the housing` 11 by means ot pivot rods` '17. Bolts 18 are pivotally secured at their inner ends to the short arms ot the levers and extend outwardly through openings 'toi-med in the uprights Il into certain ot' the openings 9 in tho metal bars S. r v n the lever lo has a lone` arm tf) which extends downwardly and inwardly beyond the arm ot tlufhousing` 11 and which is somewhat reduced in size and curved at its outer end, as at Q0, to provide a recess for the reception oft the 'tree end ol thc lever 1G. A curved tlat metal spring 2l is secured at one of its ends to the top 12 ot the casing and bears downwardly upon the levers 1G and 15, whereby the bolts 1S are held normally in their entendcd'positions, at which time the side bars 2 are locked relative to the uprights 4.

then it is desired to adjust the length ot the crutch, the hand o't the user applies an upward pressure to the curved end Q0 ot the lever 15, thus raisiner said lever' and the lever 1G so as to retract the bolts 18, which permits ot' a sliding movement o'l" the side bars 2 within the uprifrhts 4. When the proper adjustment has been attained, the end 20 is released, permitting the spring; Q1 to partially rotate the levers in' order to torce the bolts 1S outwardly into engagement with certain ot the openings 9. The recesses 14 in the side walls 13 of the casing permit free access to the free ends of the levers and it will also be noted that the shoulder 20', by contacting with the free end of the'levcr 16, limits the inward movement of each of the levers and prevents the pivoted bolts 18 being entirely withdrawn from the openings formed in the uprights 4. The outward movement ot the bolts is lim ited by the side bars 2 and therefore it is impossible for the lever 16 to become disengaged trom the curved end 20.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1.. An adjustable crutch having side bars with upper and lower sections which telescope, sliding bolts movable with the upper vsections and adapted to lockingly engage the lower sections, and pivoted levers connected to said bolts, said levers coperating with each other whereby amovement of one-will operate upon the other to cause the bolts to be simultaneously retracted from engagementl with' the lower sections.`

- 2. An' adjustable crutch comprising ,an arm rest,4 tubular uprights secured\to said arm rest, side bars sliding withinthe uprights and provided with a 'plurality of allned openings, a casing secured between the uprihts, saidv casing being open on its under si e, a pair of angular levers secured w1th1n the caslng, one of said levers being 'recessed to receive the free end of the other lever, bolts secured to said' levers and sliding through openings formed 'in the ruprights,

and means for holding said bolts normally in their extended positions. y

3. An adjustable crutch comprising an arm rest, tubular uprights securedvto said arm rest, side bars sliding in said uprights,

" a concavo-convex metallic strip secured to the inner side of each sidel bar and formed with a plurality of alinedfopenigsga casing having a top and side walls, the,sifde walls being recessed intermediateiheir lower edges, said casing being positioned between .'j

the uprights, a pair of angular levers pivoted witlnn said casing and having downwardly and inwardly extending arms, one of said arms being offset at its free endto provide a recess for the reception of1 the free 35 levers whereby the bolts are prevented from being entirely withdrawn from the openings in the uprights.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. JONES. Witnesses: v

WALLACE G. MILLAR,

` Orro BENNER. 

